Why This Beautiful Coloring Book for Adults Is a Major Best Seller

Back in your nursery school days, was there anything better than coloring? Not that you had much to be stressed out about back then, but studies show that coloring is actually quite relaxing for those of us who have a little more stress in our lives than toddlers. And coloring for grown-ups is taking Europe by storm. British illustrator Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden became an international best seller when it was released in 2013. French women are leading the crayon-wielding set, so much so that the book has been outselling the country’s best selling cookbooks. And for a food-obsessed country, that’s saying something.

Johanna’s drawings are painstakingly detailed whimsical scenes filled with animals, flora and fauna. She first sketches the scene in pencil before going over the drawing with ink. The resulting images are amazingly elaborate, intricate and absolutely breathtaking. All you have to do is add color.

If coloring sounds like something you need in your own life, you’ll be glad to know that Johanna’s second book was just released last month: Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book. The book has the same intricate drawings as Secret Garden, but this time, there is a little quest. Hidden throughout the book are eight symbols that readers must use to solve a final puzzle.

So, who’s ready to relax and go on an adventure? Grab your crayons and let’s go!

Would your adult self pick up coloring as a hobby to destress? Let us know in the comments below!